H & M Duette controller terminals

"Nick Davis" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@newspe.com:

I have one of the same and I know 4mm jacks are to big (tried and failed)!

So I resorted to bending the wire over a few time and stuffing it in the hole - which works. Tell you what though, assuming no one else answers I measure them up tomorrow with a micrometer and get the real answer. :-)

"Nick Davis" wrote

These holes accept 1/8 inch brass rod, which is what the manufacturer originally used to connect a slave controller to the Duette (or similar unit with a inboard transformer).

In the past I've soldered wires to short pieces of brass rod and inserted them into the holes in the side of a Duette - ornly as a temporary measure of course, but I can't see ny reason why this wouldn't work on a semi-permanent basis if you wrapped insulation tape around the exposed rod and wires.

John.,

"Graeme" wrote

That's correct - they were made from brass.

John.

When smoking was the norm, even indoors, my Dad used to fold over the ends of the wires and hold them in the sockets with spent matches.

In message , Nick Davis writes

The originals were short lengths of brass, but I have found that old fashioned connectors used for plugging in aerial and earth wires to old radios (wirelesses!) work well. Cannot remember what the plugs were called (banana plugs, possibly), but the metal part looks a little like a split pin, with a plastic (or Bakelite) part that fits on top. How about the centre of a phono plug? That might fit.

Alternatively, I bare an inch or more of the end of a length of wire, fold the bared end a couple of times, solder it, until the size is about right. Not very pretty, but it works.

If 1/8 " brass rod is a reasonable fit then 3mm banana plugs are probably OK:-

apologies for useless link, those are all 4mm banana plugs. I'll see if I can find some 3mm!

messagenews:eniqbp$ei$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreaderm2.core.theplanet.net...

I've seen my Dad do that with the mains!

MBQ

I use phono plugs sourced from maplins, works a treat

I am probably going to show my ignorance of "proper" engineering here, but I seem to remember using BA machine screws in my younger day, was I told they were they either 4BA or 8BA? I really can't remember. Well, my engineering qualifications are in Software Engineering and the real engineers in my family have a great deal of difficulty with that

Anyway, if you use small machine screws then you only have to wind a nut and a couple of washers up the thread to provide a way of trapping the wires to the screw.

We also use a Duette on Nictun Borrud

but I seriously can't remember where the small jack plugs we use came from, I will see if anyone can remember and post a follow up.

Elliott

Cannot remember what the plugs were

Hi all,

Yes, they're banana plugs. May be worth trying a local radio/TV shop if they have been in business for a while. Banana plugs were widely used before the later standardisation on 4mm plugs. I notice Maplin offer 4mm banana plugs but I'm not sure that they will slim down to a Duette hole. 'Standard' banana plugs are a very sloppy fit in 4mm sockets. And for what it's worth I remember my Dad fixing wires into H&M controllers with a match as well. All part of boyhood in the 50's!

Tony Comber

When my mate was showing me his southern region transet his incredibly good looking mum used to prance around the house in a suspender belt. Being only a kid of course I didn't notice :o)

(kim)

Presumably his mum had a narcissistic obsession and became insanely jealous of her offspring forming relationships with anyone other than herself.

Has your mate subsequently exhibited any aberrant tendencies as a result of being subjected to this exhibitionist maternal abuse?

Like only being able to enjoy playing with his trainset while wearing a suspendie belt?

And did his mum introduce him to sloppy fitting banana plugs?

Dirty minds want to know.... details please.

Cheers, Steve

Didnt think of that, was wondering why there was a house in a suspender belt.

Simon

They are actually called Wanda (or sometimes wander) plugs. Banana plugs are slightly different, they have a straight pin made up of springy bits of wire that are slightly bowed (like a banana) that compress when you plug them in.

Jeff

All women dressed like that in the 1950's. She wore a housecoat over the top but seldom did it up at the front unless she had visitors.

No, but he may well have been traumatised by having been bought a southern region trainset rather than a LMR trainset of the type where we lived. Green carriages were synonymous with DMUs around here and branchline engines were invariably black. I'm guesssing the southern theme had more to do with his father's preferences.

(kim)